Monday, February 27, 2012

The town of Chardon, Ohio started out their day as usual today (2/27/12) Something would be different though, and it would leave two high school students dead, another five wounded. For reasons yet to be determined, an angry and hurting student walked into his high school, sat down alone at a table in the school cafeteria and then at some point, he pulled out a gun and started shooting other students.

****UPDATE****A total of three students have now passed away from the injuries sustained in this sad event 2-29-2012

Speculation says that he may have been the victim of bullying prior to acting out like he did. Some others disagree, saying he was a kid with lots of friends who was quiet and well liked. This morning, an entire town was torn apart by fear and grief regardless of the reasons. According to a person close to Shortwave America whose anonynomity is being strictly guarded, and who lives lives in Chardon, Ohio: (paraphrasing) "some people are already using this as a platform for politics and gun control."

****UPDATE**** The Prosecutor in Ohio has determined that the accused is seriously mentally ill and legal proceedings are moving forward. New information says this was a random act of violence by someone who was NOT a student at the school but IS a local minor in that area. New information says that the accused may not have been a bullying victim 2-29-2012

This alone (politicking) is an act of bullying in this whole episode of grief and adds insult to injury when real people need real trauma support and care in such a serious time of real need. Police have arrested the shooter who committed this crime, and he is going to be held accountable for what he did. Politics and gun control issues aside, this young student who acted in such a deadly way is still a human person who obviously had some sort of intense suffering going on and he was so hurt by it that he was somehow unable to express himself otherwise.

On the flipside of this same issue, his pain has now caused many families to also suffer life changing, life - long pain. The question is whether or not the proper social and psychiatric supports would have been available to the student who committed this shooting if he had been detected earlier on by way of a Facebook post and a tweet he left behind. Who saw the Facebook post, who saw the tweet, and why didn't anyone suspect anything?

Social media is a great thing to have for an endless list of things ranging from business promotion, keeping in touch with family and friends, socializing with the community even on an international basis,and maintaining a means of contact with the outside world for busy people and those who are shut-ins. Over time, it has been known that people with troubled lives also use the internet to cry out for help, to voice their pain, to give the world around them a clue that they are at a breaking point.

Shortwave America, along with business partners PCJ Media/PCJ Radio, and The Nash Holos Show and others wish to express their heartfelt sympathies to all who were involved in this sad event. We are all people and we are all deserving of care, support, compassion, and safety.

Please keep the entire Chardon, Ohio community in your thoughts and prayers. All of us can be heroes when we take the time to be there for someone. All of us can help bring the national and international epidemic of bullying, psychological violence, and real physical violence to an end by getting involved. It isn't someone else's job.

These community resources are available to anyone who needs help and support with psychological or psychiatric matters:

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 (Even a juvenile can be investigated for abusing another child under child abuse laws) this hotline only wants calls where an injury to a child or a dangerous situation towards a child would be thought by a reasonable person to have happened by other than purely accidental means.

Shortwave America is proud to announce that you can now hear all of the great, quality, programming you have come to expect since we hit the airwaves over the Christmas holiday of 2011. On March 3rd, 2012, at 3PM Eastern Time, you may feel free to join us for a test of the system in place by clicking on the link below, and save that link, because you will hear the first of many programs to come at Caster.FM VERY soon!

Shortwave America will be live blogging this event since it is related to a rather important communications satellite system. MUOS is the acronym for MOBILE USER OBJECTIVE SYSTEM.

What MUOS is and what it does, from the following source:

Description:
Mobile User Object System (MUOS) is a narrowband Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) system that supports a worldwide, multi-Service population of mobile and fixed-site terminal users in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band, providing increased communications capabilities to smaller terminals while still supporting interoperability to legacy terminals.

Features:
MUOS adapts a commercial third generation Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) cellular phone network architecture and combines it with geosynchronous satellites (in place of cell towers) to provide a new and more capable UHF MILSATCOM system. The constellation of four operational satellites and ground network control will provide greater than 10 times the system capacity of the current UHF Follow-On (UFO) constellation.

MUOS includes the satellite constellation, a ground control and network management system, and a new waveform for user terminals. The space portion is comprised of a constellation of four geosynchronous satellites, plus one on-orbit spare. The ground system includes the transport, network management, satellite control, and associated infrastructure to both fly the satellites and manage the user’s communications. MUOS and these newer terminals are designed to support users that require greater mobility, higher data rates, and improved operation availability. The new waveform is termed the MUOS Common Air Interface (CAI), a Software Communications Architecture compliant modulations technique for the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) terminals. The MUOS CAI waveform will be available to the Services for porting to JTRS terminals in late 2008. The first MUOS satellite is scheduled to provide an On-Orbit Capability in March 2010. MUOS achieves Full Operational Capability in 2014.

LIVE EVENT LOG:

2155 UTC: Live coverage of the 200th Centaur Atlas 5 Launch of the MUOS -1 was started by Spaceflight Now, explaining what this launch is about.

2209 UTC: Countdown will start at 2211UTC and all systems are go, all communications team members are in agreement for launch.

2212: Atlas tanks set to flight pressure

2213: Launch Sequencer started, securing Centaur LR2, Launch Enable

2214: Active Countdown

30 Seconds

20 Seconds

15 seconds

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

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1

2215: Ignition

2215: LIFT OFF OF THE 200th Centaur Atlas 5 Mission!

2216: All 5 solid rocket boosters jettisoned and second roll program started

2223 U.S. Navy says there will be 5 MUOS spacecraft in orbit and the 5th will be a spare. MUOS will be able to "see" 1/3 of the earth's surface and will us a mesh 15 meter antenna to communicate with personnel on the ground.

2230: Commander Jeff King talks about MUOS-1 having to do with capacity, and other mobile communications needs MUOS - 1 serves.

2232: Hawaii, Virginia, and other ground stations are critical to MUOS-1 ops.

2233: MUOS serves to take the cell towers on the ground and move them to a geosynchornous orbit, therefore making the MUOS-1 THE cell tower.

2235: We are now 20 minutes into the Atlas 5 MUOS-1 mission and looking at Centaur main engine re-start, going through all the pre-start proceudres..A2235 and 30 seconds the main engine started again. There will be three total burns.

2237: announcement says that MUOS-1 will provide communications beyond the usual UHF line of sight and therefore provides 24 hours, 7 day a week mobile communications without needing to stop and set up an antenna pointed at the sat.

2240: Announcer comms specialist Marty Melanowski says everything aboard the Atlas 5 look near nominal and less than 1 minute to the second MECO.

2242: second MECO and fuel tank pressures are being vented down.

2242:38 coverage of the 200th Centaur Atlas 5 Launch with the MUOS-1 comes to an end.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. World Radio Day has indeed come and gone, but Shortwave America wanted to bring all of you a piece that no one else even thought of. As of World Radio Day on February 13th, 2012, several milestones had been made in both the amateur radio AND shortwave broadcast worlds.

With the gracious permission of the awesome people at Amateur Radio Newsline, Radio Canada International, PCJ / Media Network Plus, The RAIN Report, ABC Radio Australia and their 360 Documentaries Program Director, Ms. Claudia Taranto, Shortwave America brings you full coverage of WORLD RADIO DAY all in one place!

Special coverage of World Radio day from ABC Radio Australia's 360 Documentaries gives us a special look at the work and contributions of Tony Barrell. Tony was a prolific and gifted person at ABC Radio Australia who unfortunately passed away last year, and they have set up a special TRIBUTE PAGE for Tony.

There are going to be two versions of this show: One for The Look 24/7, and one especially for Shortwave America fans who don't get to listen to the show on Friday evenings. The independent Shortwave America version of the show will be around or just over 2 or 3 hours long. As this is a special show, and coverage from all over the world is being put all in one place, that accounts for the long show time.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Shortwave America has been approached by fairly new on-line streaming station, Saucy Radio, to develop, write, co-produce and co-direct a new show called "Music For These Times". This new show will focus on the more important issues in society and will use a combination of music and talk to help do that. The direction this show will be taking with important issues will be that of attempting to bring everyone together from every walk of life.

"Music For These Times" will be designed to incorporate a regular feature called "DAG". "DAG" is the acronym for "Dirty American Girl" and it has a rather special meaning that has nothing to do with the aggressive street tone it would seem to hold. Dirty American Girl is a referral to the fact that the co-host has a reputation for latching onto today's hot topics without regard for typical political correctness with a focus on the collective community meeting each other half-way and collaborating with each other to make this earth a better place than when we first came into it.

This DAG portion of the show will be an all talk format. The show has not even been produced yet and already there is buzz about it on the inner-city streets of Los Angeles and rumors say that word is starting to get out in the Hollywood area.

Who are our supporters? The indie music industry, indie artists, and collective of a mix of followers, fans, and the cousin of a certain Hollywood celebrity who will remain unnamed until a later time.

WHO are Saucy Radio and DAG? Saucy Radio is an on-line streaming station with the goal of becoming an actual main stream radio feature show. About DAG: Her radio / stage name is "Summa" and you can view her profile at the Saucy Radio Official Website. Click the "who am I?" link.

Updates will be given as to show days, times, and show length once final details are set in stone.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

SCC as they are most affectionately known, have brought forth news of the most offensive city council policy yet. According to SCC, Chicago is about to lose the Federal lawsuit against the Illinois Wiretapping Statute which currently makes ALL photography, video recording and audio recording a felony crime in Illinois. This lawsuit has been based on the 1st amendment. The ACLU, along with other legal supporters such as the National Lawyers Guild and Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy are winning. The Fraternal Order of Police are not supporting the 1st amendment right to free expression in this case .

Under the newest proposed city ordinance:

Some of the City Council’s most influential aldermen proposed a crackdown today on crowd participation at council meetings that would ban everything from signs and posters to clapping and booing in the public gallery.

“No demonstration of approval or disapproval from members of the public shall be permitted within the City Council Chambers, including, but not limited to cheering, yelling, clapping, foot stomping, whistling, booing, or jeering, and if such demonstrations are conducted, the gallery or public seating area may be cleared,” states the proposed ordinance, which goes to the Rules Committee for a hearing.

The changes also would prohibit “signs, placards, banners or posters” within the chambers, unless pre-approved by Mayor Rahm Emanuel or the alderman leading the meeting. The sponsors are Alds. Edward Burke, 14th, Richard Mell, 33rd, Carrie Austin, 34th, and Ray Suarez, 31st. - Quote from Second City Cop and Chicago Tribune.

Shortwave America has been following 1st amendment cases very closely over the past many years, and has spoken to some high ranking city law enforcement folks and attorneys specializing in 1st amendment cases on the issues of first amendment rights, and there is something that the main stream media is not telling ANYONE!

When the G8 and NATO summits arrive in Chicago and for the duration of these events, Chicago Police have already arranged with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to shut off ALL cellular phone and internet service citywide, and jam all radio frequencies that are not being used for official public safety purposes. Active word on the street is that amateur radio, citizens band, FRS, GMRS, MURS, and shortwave radio users will be specific targets for a combination of jamming and harassment.

Chicago Police deny that any such plan exists, but longtime Chicago residents and political activists know better.

According to trustworthy contacts on this matter, anyone and everyone observed with ANY communications equipment or cell phones with cameras, actual camera equipment including portable digital cameras, hand held digital recording equipment, or other related items will be stopped, detained, and likely arrested on bogus charges ranging from felony disorderly conduct to terrorism charges.

The city of Chicago was recently handed their own heads on a silver platter by a Federal Judge for abusing their arrest powers against Iraq War Protesters in 2003, and ordered by the court to pay more than 6 million dollars in damages. Given the history of Chicago Police brutality and mistreatment towards most anyone who decides to exercise their 1st amendment rights via protest actions or even individual statements, most recently, Occupy Chicago members who are now in court fighting to have their arrests nullified and voided due to 1st and 14th amendment violations.

There is confirmed word through various dependable channels in contact with Shortwave America that the city has already told Chicago's local media that they are only to report what they are told to report by city, state, and federal officials. (in regards to the G8 and NATO summits, and police / emergency activity)

Chicago = the old USSR, current day China, or North Korea. The Chicago way is alive and continually embarrasses the entire planet.

Shortwave America obtained this statement above directly from the City of Albermarle, North Carolina Police.

Tommy Jordan made the horrible judgement of making a video and posting it on YouTube, depicting himself talking about a statement his daughter allegedly made about her life in her home with her parents and posting it on Facebook. Not only did this bad example of a father publicly humiliate his daughter, exposing her to grave emotional harm, but he also showed himself pulling his semi-automatic weapon, then proceeding to fire it several times into what he claimed was "Hannah's" laptop computer.

Concerns are mounting about Tommy Jordan's mental stability in regards to his ability to control his temper and questions are being asked about "Hannah's" safety in the home while Mr. Jordan is allowed to hold a gun license and a weapon. Child protection agencies across the nation have a strict federal policy on their books that makes it a State Administrative Offense to even hold a gun license while having a child in the home. Owning a weapon while a child is residing in a home is an also a child protection offense and Child Protection Agencies are required under federal law to act when they find out that a parent owns a gun card or a weapon in the home.

No statement has yet been obtained from the North Carolina DSS about their investigation, and whether or not their will be an "indicated" or "unfounded" status on the case, and whether or not the family will be referred for mental health services they seem to really need. Albermarle Police state that Mr. Jordan did not break any laws, but child protection laws are separate from each state's criminal codes and have their own section of codified laws in each state.

Tommy Jordan is the owner / administrator of a North Carolina business called "Twisted Networx".

This whole incident proves that the government needs to wake up and do whatever it takes to permanently force guns out of society. The second amendment is simply not needed anymore in light of the fact that we have better and more effective, sensible ways of problem solving in this modern day. The second amendment was written in a time when the only way to put food on the table was by hunting, and the only means of reasonable protection was with a gun because there were no organized police departments to serve and protect people at large.

We are not in those dark ages anymore, and guns in the hands of citizens who are not police officers or active members of the military are dangerous. Guns equal destruction and death, and that is the only purpose guns have. Leave the possession of and use of guns to the trained professionals.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Shortwave America, in partnership with PCJ Media / PCJ Radio, and The Look 24/7, is pleased to announce a pending partnership with NHK World Radio Japan! Certain NHK programming will be heard on Shortwave America shows at the completion of the contract negotiations with NHK, and in accordance with NHK re-broadcasting rules.

More on this as details become available as authorized by NHK Wold Radio Japan.

This piece is not meant to be preachy or otherwise serve as some type of sermon. This piece should be seen as a challenge to the way we think. the way we perceive, and the way it affects our behavior towards others. I want this piece to be meaningful to all of you in the radio community.

If there is one thing about radio that most everyone loves and can agree on, it is the fact that it transcends the boundaries of social, cultural, religious, financial, and political restrictions. Radio is so advanced today that we hear news and events from all different points of view from all over the world.

Over my time in radio as both a hobbyist and a radio professional, I have seen radio used by those people in the world who are healthy and able bodied and by those who are shut-ins. Those who cannot get out of their house, or have such severe restrictions that they can only leave their home during nicer weather conditions due to medical problems or can only leave their home with a family member or other trusted escort depend on radio as a means of having a social life and a window to the outside world.

Radio also brings people together in the distance of thousands of miles who never get to see, hear, or know each other. Over the last three years Shortwave America has been around, it has been used to present you with the good and bad in radio; it's been used to link you to and give you a taste of a little of everything in radio ranging from quality international shortwave programming, to different modes of communication in amateur radio, to talk about issues that would generally get ignored in the radio social circles, and so much more!

Moving forward, we cannot ignore the other wonderful ways radio reaches the world. Most of us hear the various religious / faith based broadcasters out here, and we hear the various religious and political nets in the amateur HF frequencies to the FM amateur frequency allocations. We usually turn the VFO knob and tel ourselves that these folks are either all religious nut cases or that they're all ignorant, small minded, narrow thinking extremists. Why are we passing judgement when we can all agree that none of us want to be judged? Doesn't that make all of us hypocrites in our own right?

I think what we fail to remember is that the various radio services cater to everyone from every possible demographic anyone can ever dream up. All of it has a place for its audience no matter how limited or how large that audience is. Radio users, radio hobbyists, radio professionals, and radio listeners come from a long list of different mind sets, cultures, faiths, economic conditions, medical backgrounds, etc.

Some radio folks are the clean-cut, upstanding types and others are the alpha - aggressive, beer guzzling, lazy type. Some radio folks are enlightened, kind, and thoughtful; while others are of a limited level of education and are not the kind of person we have been conditioned to think of as "desirable". Who made these stereotypes and why do we adhere to them? Who is to say that a person in our world has no value just because of the way society CHOOSES to perceive them?

Similarly, who are we to say just off the bat that people should not be able to use radio in the way it best suits them? Who are we to say that a person cannot create a program or enjoy a program or partake of radio for the value it has for them? Who are we to say that an amateur radio operator should not or cannot use radio for its creative technical, social, educational, and other values inherent in what it is? Old topic, dead horse, I know, but stick with me please!

Something happened today that made me stop and really think about the way we think of each other, the way we see each other, the way we treat one another, and it came together after listening to a piece created by my good friend and co-worker, Paulette McQuarrie and then watching a video created by someone who really had something important to say. Paulette's piece talks about media freedom in her home country, Ukraine.

The next elemental inspiration was a video by "Emanuella" who is your everyday Christian who says she was trying to be "good" but then realized she had failed because she was trying to change people, that she saw changing people as her "job". Emanuella discovered that her "job" is to love people first, to be their friend first and foremost. I will link to this video created by Emanuella, but for those who do not have the time to watch it, I will transcribe Emanuella's exact quote from her video.

"Hey there. I'm Emanuella. I'm a Christian. I have been a "good" Christian most of my life. It was my identity. I used to like to tell people how "good" I was, how I kept all the commandments. I thought that was "good", then I realized something...I FAILED! "Christian" was just a name I wore. Kind of like a pretty coat over a dirty body. It didn't match my heart. Here's why...If you were an atheist, an Agnostic, or anything else...and you didn't agree with me, I would disdain you as a person. I feel like a hypocrite. I feel disgusting! AND I can't take it ANYMORE! I wasn't interested in being your "friend." I just wanted to change YOU. I thought that was my job. Christianity is about being "like" Christ, right? Jesus loved everyone, FIRST. If they didn't accept what he said, he still loved THEM. It's not my job to change you, I CAN'T! But, it IS my job to LOVE you! That I CAN! So, this is an appeal to my Christian brothers and sisters...not all, but some. STOP the damnation! STOP the judgement! STOP the religism (google it)...THAT'S NOT OUR BUSINESS! It doesn't matter how well you can preach. How many bible verses you've memorized...OR how many people think you're "ALL THAT!" IF YOU DON'T HAVE LOVE, YOU'RE NOTHING. Love is NOT a chore! It's a revelation. The Christ you serve revealed it in its purest form. Gandhi said.."I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians." Don't be one of "those." This is an invitation. START the love. Join the movement!

Gandhi was not a Christian, he was of the Hindu faith and yet he wanted to bring people together no matter what God they believed in. Gandhi even inspired well known broadcaster, Jawaharlal Nehru'. Jawaharlal addressed the radio audience the day Gandhi was assassinated, saying "Friends and comrades, the light has gone out of our lives, and there is darkness everywhere, and I do not quite know what to tell you or how to say it. Our beloved leader, Bapu as we called him, the father of the nation, is no more. Perhaps I am wrong to say that; nevertheless, we will not see him again, as we have seen him for these many years, we will not run to him for advice or seek solace from him, and that is a terrible blow, not only for me, but for millions and millions in this country."

Emanuella and Gandhi are from completely different times, cultures, and places in the world and never even met each other because one is alive and the other dead, but yet their words are in agreement with each other in both spirit of intent and in their tone. If they can say it, and do their best to put it into practice, I think all of us can!

With this, I want to challenge each and every one of my fans, followers, and listeners to find a way to use radio in some way to help end the state and culture of anger, hate, and hypocrisy in the world.

Monday, February 13, 2012

"Radio is still a vital form of communication because a radio station can be set up much faster, and at much lower cost, than a terrestrial or satellite TV station. Radio is especially useful for reaching remote communities and vulnerable people such as the illiterate, the disabled and the poor. It also provides a platform for such groups to take part in the wider public debate.

Radio also plays a vital role in emergency communication and disaster relief, which was illustrated following the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in December 2004. RNW was able to help several partner stations in Indonesia by sending out “radio stations in a box” – self-contained mobile FM stations providing a temporary studio and transmitter ready to be used by broadcasters whose own facilities had been destroyed."

World Radio Day is a time of education and social engagement, and that is what radio is about to begin with. In this age, there are many new grassroots radio programs around with as many specialty topics as a person can imagine. Thanks to RNW and Andy Sennitt for helping to keep radio alive!

For those of us who are also licensed amateur radio ops, we should be doing our part today to help remind those people around us that the internet is just a tool, and not to be wholly relied upon as the end-all, be-all of mass communication. Visit the WORLD RADIO DAY WEBSITE to learn more.

World Radio Day Special Announcement by Keith Perron on behalf of Nigel Holmes at Radio Australia:

Nigel Holmes is the frequency manager at Radio Australia. He is now working on RA's A12 schedule. Good news! No cut back in transmissions. In fact there will be an increase of hours. Two of the major changes are the following. 17750khz directed to East Asia is being re-directed to Fiji. 21725khz directed to East Asia is getting an extra hour.

There are two frequencies being dropped for the Pacific, but these two transmitters are being re-directed to South East Asia and East Asia. Here in East Asia you can listen to Radio Australia nearly 24/7 on shortwave in near MV quality. Nigel told me it's a challenge because from Shepperton it take around 3000km before the signal even hits water.

On the DRM front we all know about DRM. Some stations like Radio New Zealand International use DRM to feed local stations in the Pacific. This is an excellent application for DRM. Much cheaper than satellite time and more efficient. Radio Australia will be doing a similar test. I have to say I have a DRM receiver that I sometimes use and I love the sound it has. For rebroadcast on MV or FM it's excellent. As for a replacement for regular HF, DRM sucks. Receivers are too expensive and cannot be found anywhere.